Let’s face it - getting kids to eat healthy breakfasts can be a challenge. Sugar-coated cereals and shrink-wrapped pastries tempt young palates, and a meal-from-a-box makes it all too easy for us parents to cut corners when we are trying to get to work.
And now that school’s starting, the mornings are likely to be even busier. You can teach kids how to make healthy breakfasts for themselves.
An Eggs-scelent Choice
Eggs might be the perfect breakfast food - they have plenty of protein for growing bodies, and there are countless ways to prepare them. Best of all, chefs of all ages can work with eggs. Here are some basics, for younger chefs all the way up to high schoolers. Serve the eggs with a piece of good whole grain bread and some fruit.
- Boiled Eggs on Toast – For younger grade schoolers, boiling an egg is something they can do with mom or dad. And the best way to prepare a “boiled egg” doesn’t involve much boiling. Have your youngest fill a small saucepan with water. Next, they can (carefully!) place the eggs in the pan, and put it on the stovetop. Bring the water to a boil; right when it reaches a full rolling boil, turn off the burner, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let it stand for no less than 8 minutes. Cool the eggs in the pan by “flushing” it with cold tap water. Remove the eggs, peel them, and serve them sliced atop a piece of toast with some fruit on the side.
- Perfect Scrambled Eggs – Older kids can make a top-notch batch of scrambled eggs. The secret? Cooking them over low heat. To prevent sticking, spray or lightly coat skillet with a plant-based oil such as avocado or walnut oil. Add eggs to a skillet that’s been heated at a low setting - cooking them on high will make the eggs dry and rubbery. Stir the eggs constantly with a good rubber or silicone spatula until they’re done, and add salt and pepper.
- Easy Over Easy Eggs – to an aspiring young chef, there’s nothing quite as terrifying as having to flip an egg. A broken yolk can equal a broken heart. But there’s an easy way to have a nice runny yolk. You’ll need a skillet with a lid such as our 100% ceramic, non-toxic Traditions Skillet. Carefully crack one or two eggs into an oiled skillet over low-medium heat. As the eggs cook, add a tiny - maybe a quarter teaspoon - amount of water to the inside of the lid. Once the whites have set - that is, turned completely white - turn the heat down to Low and cover the skillet. The water will very quickly turn to steam, and it’ll finish the job. After a minute or two, remove the lid. The yolks may have a very slight white sheen. If so, they’re done.
Other Healthy Breakfast Choices For Kids
If you don’t feel like cooking, there’s plenty of other healthy breakfast options for your kids. Here are a few that they can fix themselves:
- Yogurt and Granola: Yogurt has a lot to offer - along with protein, there’s probiotics for healthy digestion. A cup of yogurt with a small scoop of granola is a great “power breakfast” that can carry the kids through the morning.
- Smoothies: Keep bags of frozen berries and some bananas on hand; slice the bananas up, toss them into the blender with frozen berries, some yogurt, and vanilla-flavored almond milk (oat milk is a great substitute) for a quick, on-the-go meal.
- Peanut Butter Toast: Another quick power breakfast - spread some peanut butter on a piece of toast, and top it with sliced bananas and blueberries. (Low-fat cream cheese or the yogurt-like spread called labneh are great substitutes.)
